Real Wedding – Madeleine & Harrison, Carlton VIC

April 22, 2024 In Blue, Micro-wedding, Real Weddings, Urban, Victoria By Ivory Tribe

Real Wedding – Madeleine & Harrison, Carlton VIC

After a sweetly intimate ceremony, Maddie and Harris wanted to celebrate with their guests in a classic Melbourne soiree, representative of the city in which they’ve built their life together. European-inspired dishes in a stunning historical setting with lashings of charm, good vibes and a packed dance floor meant this dream day felt as incredible as it looked.

With Elsa Campbell behind the lens, the visual journey of this day was bound to be spectacular. We love Maddie and Harris’s dreamy wander through inner Melbourne to their ceremony, joined by their family, all bathed in spring sunshine. Maddie looks a chic princess in her simple yet stunning gown by Maggie Sottero. Harris is dapper in his olive green jacket with black accents by Oscar Hunt – perfect for their classic yet contemporary style of celebration.

As the delectable dishes fill the table and the excitement levels build, we cannot think of a wedding more reminiscent of a stunningly styled family feast, with all the upbeat emotion and sensory delights those heart-lifting occasions bring.

Scroll on to enjoy every moment of this stunning day.

The meeting.

It was a whole decade ago! Getting together very quickly after we finished high school, we’ve muddled through our 20s together, featuring several university degrees, first jobs, a first home, and some nuptials before we venture into the next decade.

The proposal.

It was over our favourite kind of pasta at home on Christmas Eve, which was perfect. Harris had been anxiously trying to propose for about six weeks. I had no idea, but he revealed afterwards that each time I filled up our free time with events and social engagements, he inwardly groaned, fearing he would never carve out the opportunity to finally pop the question!

Planning process.

It was about 11 months. We wanted the wedding to be sooner rather than later, but held out for some Melbourne spring sunshine.

I discovered Epocha quite a while ago and bookmarked it as a potential venue before we were engaged. We took a look at a few other venues, but once we set foot inside Epocha and sampled their incredible food, it was the obvious choice for our day. It epitomises Melbourne’s charm, dishing up European-inspired food from within a Victorian Terrace building just over the road from the lush Carlton Gardens. Perfect on so many levels!

Style inspiration.

We wanted a classic and intimate Melbourne wedding that would showcase the beautiful city where we have spent a lot of our time together studying, working, and living.

Epocha created a warm and gorgeous atmosphere for our reception, which felt like a large and cosy dinner party, focused on delicious food and great company.

Favourite details.

Our friend Caitlyn designed our gorgeous invitations, which are very special to us. We absolutely adored how Elsa Campbell shot our wedding; we were blown away when we received our photos! Harris’ sister Max and sister-in-law Nay provided live music, putting on an amazing performance to open the dancefloor.

The ceremony.

The Victorian Marriage Registry is a beautiful and timeless space where we were able to enjoy a simple and meaningful ceremony in front of our immediate family.

The look.

Maddie: My dress was a Maggie Sottero design that I purchased second-hand from a lovely bride in Melbourne who was married the previous year. Purchasing second-hand was a wonderful way to give a beautiful dress another day in the sun and to connect with a previous bride for tips and advice on the wedding planning process. Funnily enough, I have since parted with the dress for another bride to wear and there’s a fourth bride in line to wear it later this year. Reminiscent of the Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants, the dress deserves its own mini-series!

Harris: My suit was custom made at Oscar Hunt at their studio in Hardware Lane, Melbourne. I had an initial consultation there and was so impressed by their knowledge and eye for detail. The design process was really enjoyable, I wanted somewhat of a statement green jacket and Shayne at Oscar Hunt delivered!

Favourite moments.

Our favourite memory was walking down Spring Street in bright Melbourne sunshine to meet Harris’ family, who were waiting outside the Registry. It was wonderful to see their reactions to our wedding outfits, and there was such a palpable air of excitement. We also loved the thoughtful speeches made by our respective sisters, Alice and Max, who also ended up duetting together when Max played her set to open the dancefloor.

Meaning of marriage.

Marriage solidifies our bond and the love and care we show each other every day. Given we met as teenagers, now being husband and wife makes us feel awfully grown up, but it also feels like the most natural thing in the world.

Wedding soundtrack.

Our first dance song was Little Blue by Harris’ sister Max.

Funny stories or near disasters.

There were no major dramas, thank goodness! Ten days out from the wedding day, I developed a strange rash all over my chest and back, which had me rather panicked. Thankfully, advice from a friend of a friend who is a dermatologist set me on the right path, and it had all but disappeared by the day.

On the day, my mum decided to wear contact lenses with very limited practice beforehand. After many failed attempts and the risk of derailing the hair and make-up schedule looming, unbeknownst to the rest of us she ran down Lygon Street in her pyjamas into the nearest optometrist, who took one look at her panicked expression and swiftly put the contacts in first shot. Mum returned triumphant and ready for her false eyelashes.

Words of wisdom.

Try not to overthink it and take breaks if you feel the planning process starting to become overwhelming. Weddings can have lots of moving parts, making them feel pretty monumental, but they’re also an amazing and exciting time of your life.

We are really glad we did a small and simple ceremony. If vows in front of everyone aren’t your thing, it’s lovely to have a smaller crowd at your ceremony and meet up with the rest of your family and friends afterwards for the party side of the occasion.

Looking to add a touch of something blue to your wedding day styling? We’ve pulled together some of our favourite modern methods to incorporate that sweet shade into your dream day, honouring tradition without being too traditional.

MADDIE & HARRIS’ VENDORS

Hello May, Ivory Tribe, social media and bridal Facebook groups were an endless source of inspiration and tips when we were find our vendors. We decided on Elsa Campbell for photography, Oscar Hunt for Harris’ suit, Georgie Boy for our gorgeous florals and Bridget and Ebonii for H&MU after many recommendations which rated them highly.

We loved all our vendors so much. Placing the most importance on our photography and the food we shared with our guests, we couldn’t fault Elsa and Epocha for making our day wonderful.

Ceremony venue: Victorian Marriage Registry

Reception venue: Epocha Restaurant Carlton

Photographer: Elsa Campbell

Florist: Georgie Boy

The dress: Maggie Sottero from Still White

Veil: Handmade by a former colleague

Shoes: Reiss

Earrings: Callie Corp

Hair: Hair by Bridget Smith

Make-up: Faces by Ebonii

Fragrance: Rose Load by Boy Smells

Suits: Oscar Hunt